Training "Emotional intelligence: the key to a culture of dialogue and effective conflict resolution"

On May 27, “Emotional intelligence: the key to a culture of dialogue and effective conflict resolution” training took place at Zaporizhzhya Polytechnic University. The event was held within the framework of the project “Together We Can” of the Program of Expanding Opportunities for Public Leaders in Ukraine, which is implemented by the NGO “Social Interaction”, NU “Zaporizka Polytechnic” in cooperation with the NGO “Human Rights Foundation” (Kyiv) with the support of the Institute of Foreign Cultural Relations and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The trainer was Tatyana Khitrova, who presented the participants with the main topics of the training:
— identifying ways to understand and overcome conflicts in society
— the importance of dialogue, diplomacy and mediation to maintain mutual understanding
— the importance of emotional intelligence for a person and why, sometimes, it is more important than IQ
— the ability to understand and control one’s emotions
— the role of a person’s self-identification for feeling happiness

The event was divided into conditional three blocks, during which the trainer focused on different aspects of the training topic. The first block was devoted to the theory of emotional intelligence, as well as its role for people in society. The participants reviewed cases of conflict situations and analyzed ways to resolve them. Within this block, the trainer offered a clear plan for dialogue, which can be adapted to difficult life situations.

The second block Ms. Tatiana focused on the theory of dialogic thinking: she demonstrated the difference between ecological communication and conflict. Also, students worked in teams on tasks to master the culture of dialogue, which encouraged the formation of an argumentative type of communication.

During the third block, the participants learned to distinguish emotions not only by the atmosphere, but also by the interlocutor’s body language. The set of interactive exercises allowed the participants to understand that the human body and mind are parts of the same system, therefore the physical and emotional state are closely interconnected, and emotions affect the effectiveness and efficiency of the dialogue.

During the training, the speaker encouraged the participants to engage in active dialogue and asked the main question of the event, “Who are you?”. It was supposed to form students’ concepts about themselves and their values, which are the foundations of a person’s emotional intelligence.

We work together — we develop together!